If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that new cars are expensive. The growing affordability crisis means it’s a lot harder for your average shopper to own more than one vehicle, forcing people to consolidate their fun car and their practical car into one vehicle.
Dodge is making that easier than ever with a new Durango R/T 392, resurrecting the company’s amazing 6.4-liter Hemi V8 to create an even rowdier three-row SUV. It delivers all the practicality you’d expect of such a large vehicle, but it can also sprint to 60 mph in under five seconds, and make all the right muscle car noises.
What’s even crazier is that the new R/T 392 is actually … affordable? Sure, $51,990 isn’t objectively affordable for the vast majority of Americans, but you have to admit, for the amount of car you’re getting here, it’s a damn good value.
Think of the new R/T 392 as a middle child between the base 5.7-liter V8-powered Durango, which makes 360 horsepower, and the full-fat, 710-horsepower, supercharged V8-powered Durango Hellcat. While it doesn’t carry the SRT badge, this is effectively a spiritual successor to the Durango SRT 392, which went out of production after the 2024 model year.
And by successor, I really mean just a reincarnation. The R/T 392 makes the same 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque as the SRT, sending thrust to all four wheels via the same eight-speed automatic transmission, using the same active distribution system that varies torque front to rear based on “performance driving demands.” Six-piston front brake calipers and four-piston rears also make a return, as do the adaptive dampers.
If the new R/T is anything as heavy as the 5,457-pound SRT it replaces, then it certainly won’t be an agile, lightweight track star. But at least it’ll be quick. Dodge quotes a 0-60 estimate of 4.4 seconds, and because it’s Dodge, also quotes an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds—because those are the numbers most important to Durango buyers. Personally, I’m not too worried about actual speed, so long as it sounds like a 392 cubic-inch Hemi should.
The great thing about the Durango is that it’s a great tow vehicle, and that doesn’t change for the new R/T. Dodge says the SUV can pull 8,700 pounds, which is more than the Nissan Armada and GM’s full-size SUV triplets (the Tahoe, the Yukon, and the Escalade).
Inside, the R/T 392 is pretty well-equipped as standard, with stuff like Nappa leather and suede seats with extra bolstering—you know, for all the corner-carving you’ll be doing in this thing. Those front seats are heated and ventilated, while the second-row captain’s chairs get heating elements. On the outside, there are specific “392” badges and a specific spoiler to let everyone know you have the big-boy engine, and not the puny 5.7-liter Hemi.
If you want even more stuff, there’s a Premium trim for $59,590 that adds stuff like a sunroof, a sueded headliner, carbon-fiber interior accents, more leather trim, an 18-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a trailer tow package, driver assistance tech, and two-piece brake rotors that provide better stopping power and cooling performance.
Before you dive into the comments saying $51,990 is nowhere near affordable, I agree! Combined, my cars might be worth $7,000 on a good day. I cannot afford to purchase a new sofa, much less a new car. But it’s important to put that price into perspective. Back in 2024, the SRT 392, which got the same engine and many of the same chassis upgrades as this new R/T, cost $75,590. So effectively, Dodge is bringing that car back for 2026, except with a near-$24,000 discount.
It’s also worth noting that the average transaction price for a new car is just over $49,000 as of last month, according to Cox Automotive. That means for the price of an average car in 2026, you can get a three-row SUV that makes 475 horsepower and sounds like your favorite V8 muscle car. That’s not bad, all things considered. Sure, fuel economy won’t be the best, and with gas prices set to go nowhere but up, the timing isn’t great. But if you don’t mind that, the R/T 392 feels like an excellent all-rounder.
Now all Dodge has to do is put this engine into a Charger, and price it similarly (or cheaper!). Then I’ll be truly happy.
Top graphic image: Dodge
The post Dodge’s New 6.4-Liter V8-Powered Durango Starts At $51,990, Which Is $23,600 Cheaper Than The Old SRT Version appeared first on The Autopian.
